1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention comprises a conductor forming process in which ion implantation forms an electrically conductive interconnect within a dielectric layer. The inventive conductor forming process also uses implantation to form a thermally conductive structure that is insulated by and contained within the dielectric layer.
2. The Relevant Technology
In the microelectronics industry, a substrate refers to one or more semiconductor layers or structures which includes active or operable portions of semiconductor devices. A substrate assembly refers to a substrate with one or more layers or structures formed thereon. For example, a substrate assembly in the present disclosure can refer to a substrate with interconnects that connect to active areas within the substrate. The interconnects can be within an insulative layer upon the substrate assembly. A semiconductor device can refer to a substrate assembly upon which at least one microelectronic device has been or is being fabricated. The semiconductor device can also refer to a semiconductor substrate assembly having formed thereon elements such as transistors. Interconnection layers are formed on the semiconductor substrate assembly for electrically connecting such elements. The semiconductor industry has, since the development of the integrated circuit, used a process that required the etching of a hole or via in a dielectric layer and the subsequent filling of the hole with a conductive material to make a connection between one conductive layer and another. The connection was formed of such materials as polysilicon, high melting-point metals, high melting-point metal silicides, aluminum, and aluminum alloys. The ever-increasing pressure to miniaturize and to increase semiconductor device speed has required that both interconnect size and interconnect resistance be reduced. Therefore, semiconductor integrated circuit devices require interconnect structures of smaller lateral dimensions, and require materials that have smaller resistivities. A reliability problem in conventional etched via structures is over etching the via and undercutting a structure with which contact is to be made.
Because hole filling following an etch is problematic, interconnect hole filling seldom achieves a complete connection between the interconnect interface and the electrically conductive region beneath the interconnect. Attempts have been made to create interconnects by forming an interconnect first, followed by forming a dielectric layer, for example, by filling the regions between interconnects with a gelatinous material and curing the material into a solid dielectric. Thus, hole filling is avoided, however, there remains a discrete interface between the interconnect and the electrically conductive region that the interconnect contacts.
Additionally, as semiconductor device dimensions continue to shrink in size the problem of heat management continues to increase in complexity. As heat management requirements continue to increase, methods of removing heat from the semiconductor device without increasing the vertical or lateral geometries of the devices are constantly being sought.
What is needed is a method of forming an interconnect without the prior art via etching and via hole-filling process. What is also needed is a method of forming an interconnect wherein the interconnect minimizes interface discontinuities between the electrically-conductive region beneath the interconnect and the interconnect itself. What is also needed is a method of forming an interconnect that resists thermal cycle stresses at the interface with the dielectric material and with the electrically conductive region beneath the interconnect. What is also needed is a method of forming heat management structures within semiconductor devices without increasing the vertical or lateral geometries of the devices.